CONCORD — A traveling medical technician accused of spreading hepatitis C to 30 hospital patients made his first appearance in federal court in New Hampshire Tuesday.

David M. Kwiatkowski, 33, was called before a federal judge in Concord at 3 p.m. Kwiatkowski waived his right to a preliminary hearing and detention hearing, and was returned to the custody of the U.S. Marshals to await trial.

Kwiatkowski is being held in the Strafford County jail, according to U.S. Attorney John Kacavas, whose office is prosecuting the case against Kwiatkowski.

Kwiatkowski, who is infected with hepatitis C, allegedly spread the virus to patients in the course of stealing hospital drugs. Prosecutors say he injected himself with fentanyl, a powerful anesthesia, then allowed syringes contaminated with his blood to be reused on patients.

He faces charges of obtaining controlled substances by fraud and tampering with a consumer product resulting in injury. Kwiatkowski faces a possible sentence of 24 years in prison on the two charges, and fines of up to $250,000 on each.

"I do expect that by the time we get to a grand jury, we will increase and enhance our charges," Kacavas said outside the courthouse. He said federal prosecutors may ultimately bring separate charges against Kwiatkowski for each patient infected in the hepatitis C outbreak.

Kwiatkowski will be represented by New Hampshire public defender Bjorn Lange, who appeared beside him at Tuesday's court appearance.

Kwiatkowski was dressed in tan slacks and a white dress shirt Tuesday. He entered the court room wearing rubber shoes and a chain around his ankles. He did not speak during the hearing, other than to answer "yes" to several questions from magistrate Judge Daniel Lynch.

"The first job for any defense lawyer is to figure out what the evidence is, and I know virtually nothing about the evidence," Lange said after the Tuesday hearing. "My first obligation is to figure out exactly what the evidence is in this case."

A Michigan native, Kwiatkowski worked in the health care industry there for several years, according to an affidavit filed in federal court in New Hampshire last week by an FBI agent investigating the case. He went on to work as a traveling technician in cardiac catheterization laboratories in at least eight states since 2007.

As part of their investigation, federal officials in New Hampshire have served subpoenas to multiple hospitals where Kwiatkowski was previously employed, Kacavas said.

According to court documents, former coworkers have told police Kwiatkowski's behavior has raised questions in the past. In one instance, a hospital where he worked in 2008 reported that Kwiatkowski was terminated after he was spotted stealing a syringe from the operating room.

On at least two occasions, needles were also found inside a restroom at a hospital where Kwiatkowski was working while he was on duty, another former supervisor told police.

"I can tell you that based on information we've derived so far, his conduct should have been reported to law enforcement authorities — conduct in diverting drugs and acquiring controlled substances," Kacavas said Tuesday. "I think that had he been stopped from diverting drugs some years ago, maybe this would not have happened."

Kwiatkowski was first hired as a traveling medical technician in Exeter Hospital's cardiac catheterization laboratory in April 2011. He was brought on as a full staff member in October 2011, and worked in the CCL until May 2012. He was placed on leave by the hospital when the rash of hepatitis C infections was discovered, and is no longer a hospital employee.

Kwiatkowski was arrested on July 19 at a hospital in Massachusetts, where he was receiving unspecified treatment. Kacavas and Lange both declined to comment on whether Kwiatkowski is currently receiving any medical treatment while incarcerated.